3 Innovators Who Regretted their Creations

The general public may believe that innovators love each and every one of their creations. However, sometimes it’s best to recall Doctor Victor Frankenstein and his horrid creation, the Frankenstein Monster. Dr. Frankenstein is known for having recoiled in fear and disgust from his abomination, going so far as to try and destroy it.

This is no different for the three creators on this list. While their creation had a lasting effect on parts of the world, that is not to say that these innovators are pleased with them. Some despaired; others tried to destroy their personal Frankenstein monster. Either way, these innovators made a mark on the world, much to their chagrin.

J. Robert Oppenheimer – The Atomic Bomb

While the director of the Los Alamos Laboratory during World War II was initially happy to assist in the war effort, the use of the Atomic Bomb would leave J. Robert Oppenheimer struggling with mixed feelings over his creation. On August 6 and 9, 1945, the United States dropped nuclear weapons on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki respectively. At least 129,000 people were killed in the bombings and the use of nuclear weapons would leave a lasting effect on a global scale for years to come.

Oppenheimer did not fully regret creating his bomb and understood as to why his creation was used to end the war. However, Oppenheimer did comment on his belief that his creation was not used for a good enough reason: “… I do not have the feeling that it was done right. The ultimatum to Japan [the Potsdam Proclamation demanding Japan’s surrender] was full of pious platitudes. …our government should have acted with more foresight and clarity in telling the world and Japan what the bomb meant.”

Presently, the country of Japan continues to feel the effects of the nuclear bombing. At the Hiroshima Peace Park in Hiroshima, Japan, the Peace Flame burns brightly, even at night. This flame has been burning since 1964, and will continue to burn until all nuclear arms are destroyed, and the threat of nuclear annihilation ceases to be.

John Larson – The Polygraph

Photo by Lwp Kommunikáció // Flickr

The polygraph was Jack Byrnes’ hilariously evil tool to use against Greg Focker in Meet the Parents. Watching Greg sweat as he’s grilled over his intentions with Pam, the needle flying wildly across the paper, had viewers rolling. And though the polygraph, or lie detector test, is used as a comedy prop in the media, its creator does not find it to be so funny.

John Larson saw his polygraph as “… a Frankenstein’s monster, which I have spent 40 years in combating…” close to the end of his life. The lie detector, even in these modern times, is seen as a controversial test whose results are still questioned as being 100% sound in court. Outside of the polygraph being used to question criminals by law enforcement, it was even used by marketing companies to find out how consumers really felt about their products.

These days, many states in the United States do not allow the use of lie detector tests in court. The results can be unsound or not-easily-determined in some cases. In pop culture, the lie detector is seen as more of a gag item, than something to take seriously. That doesn’t mean some favorite detective shows won’t dust off the magic box and try to catch some punk lying.

Dong Nguyen – Flappy Bird

It’s not everyday that an app can turn on its creator and truly make his daily life a living hell. However, this is just what happened to app game creator Dong Nguyen. His notoriously difficult, almost unbeatable game Flappy Bird sent mobile users raging. Flappy Bird soon became viral and Nguyen found himself bombarded with messages, emails, and calls.

Unable to withstand his creation’s popularity, Nguyen Tweeted, “I cannot take this anymore.” Soon, Flappy Bird was pulled from the app stores, maybe as an attempt to stop the creation from getting too big. However, this plan would be turned on its head as users sent death threats to the creator, while phones with the original Flappy Bird app were auctioned off online for large amounts of money.

Regardless, Flappy Bird and its spin-off affiliates are here to stay. Everything from Miley Cyrus and her wrecking ball, to a fish, to Donald Trump, have been made into some type of Flappy Bird spin-off. So while the original game is no longer listed, gamers can still rage on with other games.